Summary

This study analyzes shock incarceration (boot camp)
programs in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, and Texas. In each state, offenders who participated in boot
camps were compared with demographically similar offenders who were
sentenced to prison, probation, or parole. The impact of shock
incarceration on offenders was assessed in two major areas: (1)
changes in offenders' attitudes, expectations, and outlook during
incarceration (self-report/attitude data), and (2) performance during
and adjustment to community supervision after incarceration (community
supervision data). The self-report/attitude data include variables
measuring criminal history, drinking and drug abuse, and attitudes
toward the shock incarceration program, as well as demographic
variables, such as age, race, employment, income, education, and
military experience. The community supervision data contain
information on offenders' behaviors during community supervision, such
as arrests, absconding incidents, jail time, drug use, education and
employment experiences, financial and residential stability, and
contacts with community supervision officers, along with
demographic variables, such as age and race. In addition to these key
areas, more detailed data were collected in Louisiana, including a
psychological assessment, a risk and needs assessment, and a community
supervision follow-up at two different time periods (Parts 11-18). For
most states, the subjects sampled in the self-report/attitude survey
were different from those who were surveyed in the community
supervision phase of data collection. Data collection practices and
sample structures differed by state, and therefore the data files are
organized to explore the impact of shock incarceration at the state
level. For each state, the unit of analysis is the offender.

Geographic Coverage

Data Collection Notes

The codebook and data collection instruments are
provided as Portable Document Format (PDF) files. The PDF file format
was developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and can be accessed using
PDF reader software, such as the Adobe Acrobat Reader. Information on
how to obtain a copy of the Acrobat Reader is provided through the
ICPSR Website on the Internet.

Study Purpose

This study was designed to analyze shock
incarceration (boot camp) programs in Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. It was guided
primarily by two research questions: (1) Are shock incarceration
programs successful in fulfilling stated program goals? and (2) What
particular components of shock incarceration programs lead to success
or failure in fulfilling program goals?

Study Design

This study consists of two main parts: offender
comparison and change during incarceration (self-report/attitude data)
and offender adjustment to community supervision (community
supervision data). Self-report/attitude data are available for five
states (Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and South Carolina). In
each state, a sample of shock incarceration inmates was compared to a
sample of traditional prison inmates during incarceration. Subjects in
both samples completed a self-report questionnaire twice in a repeated
measure design. The first questionnaire was completed early in their
incarceration and the second was administered approximately 90 days
later, except in Louisiana where the survey was administered at three
points in time. The questionnaire consisted of personal history and
attitude items. Demographic data were also collected on each subject
from official records. Community supervision data, which are available
for all seven states, were compiled to compare three samples of
offenders: (1) shock incarceration graduates, (2) offenders on
probation or parole, and (3) shock incarceration dropouts. In most
states, data were collected at three-month intervals for one year. In
Oklahoma, data were collected at two time periods. Offenders in Texas
were followed for two years. In Louisiana, subjects were evaluated
after one year and again after two years. For most states, the
subjects sampled in the self-report/attitude survey were different
from those who were surveyed in the community supervision of data
collection. Data collection practices and sample structures differed
by state, and therefore the data files are organized to explore the impact
of shock incarceration at the state level. For each state, the unit of
analysis is the shock or comparison group offender.

Sample

States were selected based on the existence of shock
incarceration programs that varied along key hypothesized dimensions.
Respondents were sampled differently in each state. In many cases
convenience samples were used, selecting the first offenders that met
the eligibility criteria until the sample goal was reached. In other
cases, random sampling was used.

Universe

All states with shock incarceration programs and all
youthful offenders serving sentences in state institutions.

Unit(s) of Observation

Individuals.

Data Source

personal interviews, self-enumerated questionnaires,
and official records from correctional institutions

Data Type(s)

survey data, and administrative records data

Description of Variables

The self-report/attitude data files measure
offender comparison and change during incarceration. The same core
questionnaire was used in Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and South
Carolina. Variables in these files include type of crime committed,
prior arrests and convictions, juvenile delinquency, drinking and drug
use, attitudes toward the shock program, asocial attitudes, and
demographic information, such as age, race, employment, income,
education, and military experience. The South Carolina file also has a
sex variable, since the sample includes both men and women. The other
data files measure offender adjustment to community supervision. The
same core questionnaire was used in Florida, Georgia, and South
Carolina. Variables in these files include type of crime committed,
prior arrests and convictions, and demographic information, such as
age and race. In addition, information about offenders' behaviors
during community supervision was recorded, including arrests,
absconding incidents, jail time, pending violations, revocations, drug
use, educational and employment experiences, financial and residential
stability, overall progress in the program, and number and types of
contacts with community supervision officers. The South Carolina file
contains an additional variable, age at first arrest. The Georgia
file contains additional variables from a two-year follow-up that
measure arrests, revocations, abscondings, and legal releases. The
Louisiana files contain more detailed information than the other state
files (Parts 11-18). In addition to similar self-report and community
supervision variables, the Louisiana data provide other
attitude and psychological variables. These include the Jessness
personality inventory, attitudes toward shock incarceration, locus of
control, perceived control of events, coping methods, state-trait
anxiety, assertive interactions, and conflicts in prison.

Response Rates

Not applicable.

Presence of Common Scales

Several Likert-type scales were used, along with the
Jessness Antisocial Attitudes Scale, a Motivation to Change scale, a
Beneficial Expectation scale, an Attitudes Towards Prison/IMPACT
(shock) scale, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory items.

Original Release Date

1998-07-28

Version Date

2006-03-30

Version History

2006-03-30 File QU6986.ALL.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.

2005-11-04 On 2005-03-14 new files were added to one
or more datasets. These files included additional setup files as well
as one or more of the following: SAS program, SAS transport, SPSS portable,
and Stata system files. The metadata record was revised 2005-11-04 to
reflect these additions.

1998-07-28 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:

Standardized missing values.

Performed recodes and/or calculated derived variables.

Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.

2006-03-30 File UG6986.ALL.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.

2006-03-30 File CB6986.ALL.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.

Notes

The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.

The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented.

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